From Okey Sampson, Aba

 

The Federal Government has concluded plans to boost power supply to Ariaria International Market in Aba, Abia State. This, it said, was geared towards boosting and ensuring the survival of Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) in the country. 

Disclosing this in Aba during an interactive session with leaders of various market unions in Ariaria International Market, the Managing Director, Rural Electrification Agency and Special Assistant to the Vice President on Power, Mrs. Damiola Ogunbiyi, said the power project to be executed by Total Support Energy, an Independent Power agency, would, when completed, will provide 24 hours power supply to the market.

Ogunbiyi said the aim was to ensure adequate and sustainable power supply to traders and artisans at Ariaria International Market. 

Ogunbiyi who described traders at the market as key to the economic growth of the country, especially now that the Federal Government is committed to promoting the local manufacturing sector, expressed hope that the power project, on completion, would reduce the cost of power supply to the traders.

She said the essence of the meeting was to interact with leaders of various  unions in the market and to also get accurate data, number of traders, shops and an estimate of power regularly consumed on daily basis to enable them provide the needed amount of power required by the traders and fabricators to power their equipment.

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Ogunbiyi who stated that the power plant project was specifically for Ariaria Market, said that Geometrics Power Company would be providing power to homes and offices in the commercial city and its environs.  

She appealed to the market leaders to sensitise their members on the need to provide accurate information to the team to avoid underestimation.

Also speaking, the Managing Director of Total Support Energy, Mr. Ubani Nkagineme, stated that if his team would get the needed cooperation from the market leaders and their members, the power project would be ready for use in December.

“If Ariaria market cooperates with us, we will use two to three weeks to gather data that we need. We will be able to advice government on how much power that is required to give steady power supply to the traders in Ariaria International Market. We can also be able to project the amount of power they (traders) would require in years to come so that the infrastructure would be planned properly.” 

Elder Emeka Igara, Chairman, Ariaria International Market, disclosed that the market has over 200,000 shops with average of 10,000 customers patronising it on daily basis and expressed hope that the number would increase as soon as the project is actualised.

In an interview, the Senior Special Assistance to Governor Okezie Victor Ikpeazu on Youth Empowerment, Mr. Chinenye Nwogu, stated the readiness of the state to ensure that the project worked, stressing that the importance of Ariaria International Market to the state and Nigeria as a whole cannot be overemphasised.